The air is crisp and the leaves are falling here in Amsterdam. Sure, sometimes it rains…but the point is: it’s officially fall! Which means it’s time for cozy knits.
Great knitwear is expensive! And for good reason: high quality materials, sometimes even handmade.
So if you’re looking for affordability and quality, secondhand is once again the way to go. Because don’t we all deserve to wrap ourselves in 100% wool?
To get you started, here’s my trusty list of brands that have been specialized in knitwear for decades, categorized by type of sweater.
The cardigan
Let’s kick off with one of the most versatile knits: the cardigan. Easy to throw over a t-shirt, and always makes you look put together.
United Colors of Benetton
This famous Italian brand is great to find cardigans of literally any color your heart desires. Since they launched in the 1960s, the heart of their business has always been bright knitwear.
Last fall, Instagram kept promoting a very pricy, very pretty, red cardigan in my feed. But instead of caving, I turned to Vinted and found a perfect red wool cardigan from Benetton that I’ve worn over and over since then.
In that search, I found a million other beautiful Benetton cardigans.
Like this beautiful green number at just 25€
Or this mohair blend for under $50:
The knit polo
I am seeing this type of sweater everywhere right now. It’s a perfect knit to layer with a turtleneck or a shirt (double-collar, double the fun!). And the good news is: this style has been around since the 1930s: it is so so easy to thrift.
Brooks Brothers
An OG brand from the early 19th century — they’ve always specialized in knitwear so this is always a great brand to search for any sort of cozy sweater. In the 1980s, their knit polos were especially popular.
So if you’re on the market for this classy knit, searching “brooks brothers knit polo” or “brooks brothers collared sweater” will yield results.
For example, replicate the outfit from above with this grey find for $21:
Rodier
I’ve covered this heritage French brand in previous posts but couldn’t not include it again. It’s one of my go-tos for vintage sweaters. Their twinsets are iconic but they’ve also been producing knit polos, in all sorts of colors, for decades.
A pretty light blue that pairs well with everything:
Or a pink (which is everywhere right now) short-sleeve option for fall :
The cashmere turtleneck
A cashmere sweater is one of those luxuries that really doesn’t need to be over $100 if you look in the right places. And is there anything cozier than slipping on a soft turtleneck on a cold winter day?
Lands’ End
Did you know Lands’ End makes great cashmere? Did you also know that you can get them for $50 or less secondhand vs $200 on their website?!
Like this red one:
Eric Bompard
Also covered in a previous post but impossible not to mention here. This cashmere-focused brand’s retail prices start at 250€ but you can find them secondhand for under 150€ and even 100€ sometimes.
Love this soft, light blue shade that’s 75€:
And how cozy does this one look? (130€):
The wool knit
If you’re like me, you’ve been eyeing babaà sweaters for years but can’t bring yourself to splurge. Yes, their sweaters are beautiful, but the secondhand-wool-knit-market has lots to offer and might just satisfy your babaà cravings.
Woolrich
America’s oldest outdoor clothing brand has been knit experts since the 1830s. That’s almost two centuries! Vintage Woolrich sweaters are almost always made in the USA because the company only started manufacturing abroad in the 1990s.
This color and cut give big babaà vibes for under $60:
Or go all-out 90s!
Fabrizio Del Carlo
This brand is one of my most recent discoveries. It’s a very small Italian knitwear brand started in the 1980s in the pretty town of Lucca.
I honestly cannot believe these prices! I mean this beautiful lilac sweater is 6€ for 95% wool?!?!
I also love this chunkier, cropped version with the unique opening:
The Irish fisherman sweater
And then, of course, there’s the classic wool knit that will never ever go out of style: the Irish fisherman sweater. Aka the most thriftable sweater out there.
Here’s a shortlist of heritage brands to search for:
Fisherman out of Ireland
Aran Crafts
Blarney
Carraig Don
You’ll find exactly what you need — like this one in pristine condition (love the cream color):
Or more original takes like a red roll-neck:
The zip knit
Let’s end this round-up with a y2k fave that’s currently getting another moment in the sun: the high-neck zip-up.
Tommy Hilfiger
One of the defining fashion labels of y2k, up there with Ralph Lauren and Levi’s. Their logo was everywhere in the early 2000s but they also made a lot of more low-key prep zip ups that you can easily thrift.
Like this pink one:
Or a simpler cream option:
That’s it! Obviously there are a million more heritage knitwear brands we could cover but I hope this helps you get started.
The thing with thrifting online is that you never know where you’ll end up but as long as you have the right starting point, it’ll be a good place :)
How do you thrift your sweaters? Let me know if you find anything special through these brands!
Thanks for reading 🫶
— Laure
What a clever guide! I love it! I’ve been buying and wearing only vintage 2-ply and 3-ply cashmere, particularly those made in Scotland (Pringle, Ballantyne, Braemar, Johnston’s of Elgin), for decades. They’re beautifully constructed, soft, thick, and cozy, and they’ve stood the test of time. Same for my collection of wool sweaters from Ireland and Scotland—always vintage, as the quality is unmatched, even by contemporary luxury brands.
Ok, this is brilliant.